Particulate aerogel material kit for grip enhancement

Abstract

Particulate aerogel material kit for grip enhancement, and related systems and methods, are generally described. Certain embodiments are related to interfaces comprising human skin, a layer of particulate aerogel material, and a solid surface. Methods of creating such interfaces, packaging the particulate aerogel material, and applications thereof (including kits for grip enhancement) are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A grip enhancement kit, comprising:
 particulate aerogel material; and 
 a container adapted to contain the particulate aerogel material; 
 wherein the particulate aerogel material is contained within the container; 
 wherein the particulate aerogel material is not dispersed in a liquid; and 
 wherein the container comprises a plurality of openings through which the particulate aerogel material can be transported. 
 
     
     
       2. The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings is within a lid that is removable from the remainder of the container. 
     
     
       3. The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings is within a wall of the container. 
     
     
       4. The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the particulate aerogel material can pass through the plurality of openings when the container is inverted. 
     
     
       5. The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings comprises one opening. 
     
     
       6. The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the density of the plurality of openings comprises at least 1/cm2, at least 2/cm2, at least 5/cm2, at least 10/cm2, at least 50/cm2, or more than 50/cm2. 
     
     
       7. The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the particulate aerogel material can pass through the plurality of openings when a pressure of less than 100 N/cm2 is applied to the container. 
     
     
       8. The kit of  claim 1 , further comprising written instructions for at least one of the use, application, administration, or storage of the particulate aerogel material. 
     
     
       9. The kit of  claim 8 , wherein the written instructions comprise one of a bar code or a quick response code. 
     
     
       10. The kit of  claim 1 , wherein, when the particulate aerogel material is applied between human skin and a solid surface, the friction between the human skin and the solid surface is higher than it would be without the particulate aerogel material and under otherwise identical conditions. 
     
     
       11. A grip enhancement kit, comprising:
 a plurality of dry aerogel particles; and 
 a container adapted to contain the dry aerogel particles; 
 wherein the dry aerogel particles are contained within the container; and 
 wherein at least 50 vol % of the dry aerogel particles have a maximum cross-sectional dimension of greater than or equal to 50 nanometers. 
 
     
     
       12. The kit of  claim 11 , wherein the container comprises a plurality of openings through which the aerogel particles can pass through. 
     
     
       13. The kit of  claim 11 , wherein the container comprises a flexible container. 
     
     
       14. The kit of  claim 13 , wherein the aerogel particles will fracture when subjected to a pressure of less than 1 N/cm2. 
     
     
       15. The kit of  claim 14 , wherein the container is adapted to allow the application of a crushing force to the aerogel particles contained within the container. 
     
     
       16. The kit of  claim 11 , wherein the average maximum cross-sectional dimension of the aerogel particles is less than or equal to 1 centimeter. 
     
     
       17. The kit of  claim 11 , wherein the aerogel particles comprise inorganic oxide aerogel. 
     
     
       18. The kit of  claim 11 , wherein the inorganic oxide aerogel comprises an oxide of silicon, aluminum, titanium, hafnium, zirconium, chromium, niobium, tantalum, iron, vanadium, neodymium, samarium, holmium, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and/or erbium. 
     
     
       19. The kit of  claim 11 , wherein the aerogel particles exhibit a BET surface area of greater than or equal to 5 m2/g and less than or equal to 4000 m2/g. 
     
     
       20. The kit of  claim 11 , wherein, when the aerogel particles are submerged under water for 24 hours at 25° C., the aerogel particles uptakes a mass of water within the outer boundaries of the aerogel particles of less than or equal to 30% of the dry mass of the aerogel particles just prior to submerging in the water. 
     
     
       21. The kit of  claim 11 , wherein the aerogel particles exhibit an optical transmission of greater than or equal to 5% at 635 nm. 
     
     
       22. The kit of  claim 11 , wherein, when the aerogel particles are submerged under oil for 24 hours at 25° C., the aerogel particles uptakes a mass of oil within the outer boundaries of the aerogel particles of greater than or equal to 20% of the dry mass of the aerogel particles just prior to submerging in the oil. 
     
     
       23. The kit of  claim 11 , wherein the aerogel particles exhibit a BJH pore volume of greater than or equal to 0.05 cm3/g and less than or equal to 5 cm3/g. 
     
     
       24. The kit of  claim 11 , wherein, when the aerogel particles are applied between human skin and a solid surface, the friction between the human skin and the solid surface is higher than it would be without the aerogel particles and under otherwise identical conditions. 
     
     
       25. The kit of  claim 13 , wherein the container comprises at least one of fabric, paper, plastic, or rubber. 
     
     
       26. The kit of  claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of a boundary of the container is porous and permits transport of the aerogel particles through the porous boundary upon application of force to the flexible container.